DALLAS – Kennesaw State’s Manu Johnsen, UTEP’s Sara Pustahija, WKU’s Callie Bauer and Sam Houston’s Chloe Monson earned Conference USA Volleyball Player of the Week honors.
CUSA Offensive Player of the Week – Manu Johnsen, KSU – Sr. – OH – Copenhagen, Denmark
Johnsen posted two big games on the road to lead the Owls to a 2-0 road sweep of New Mexico State, which clinched KSU the third seed in the CUSA tournament. She helped KSU come back from a 1-0 deficit to win 3-1 in the opener after finishing with 25 kills in the four-set match, which ranks as the sixth-highest total in school history in a match. The senior outside hitter also finished with an impressive .500 hitting performance in the match (25K-4E-42TA). In the second victory on Friday, she posted a double-double with 12 kills and 14 digs. For the week, she finished with 37 kills on a .313 hitting clip, a 4.63 kills per set average and 19 digs.


CUSA Defensive Player of the Week – Sara Pustahija, UTEP – Sr. – OH – Belgrade, Serbia
Pustahija delivered a dominant two-way performance as UTEP closed the regular season with back-to-back sweeps over FIU to clinch the first Conference USA regular-season title in program history. Starting both matches and competing in all six sets, Pustahija was one of the most efficient attackers on the floor, tallying 18 kills with just one error while hitting .309. The senior outside hitter added two aces and was equally impactful defensively, posting seven blocks—including two solos—for a 1.17 blocks-per-set average, while also contributing nine digs. Her all-around production fueled UTEP’s ability to hold FIU to a .203 hitting percentage. Pustahija finished the weekend with a team-high 24.5 points (4.08 per set), providing consequential contributions in every phase of the game.
 
CUSA Setter of the Week – Callie Bauer, WKU – R-Sr. – Hudson, Mich.
Bauer posted 75 assists, nine kills, two service aces, 15 digs and five total blocks on the weekend. Bauer led the team to the fifth best hitting percentage in the country (.305), fifth in kills per set (14.46), and fifth in assists per set (13.52). Her performance also launched WKU in first in assists per set in both overall and conference only stats. She ranks first in assists per set, averaging 10.24 a set, and is third in total assists (932). The Hudson, Michigan, native is also the active career leader in total assists in NCAA DI Volleyball with 4,725. 
 
CUSA Freshman of the Week – Chloe Monson, Sam Houston – OH – San Antonio, Texas
Monson was huge in helping the Bearkats close out 2025 season splitting the weekend matches at Delaware. She averaged 5.00 kills per set and hit .305 for the weekend against the Blue Hens, turning in a huge match in the opener tallying a double-double with 29 kills and 12 digs. On Sunday, she followed that up with 16 kills and seven digs as the Kats squared the weekend with a 3-1 win.
 
2025 CUSA Offensive Players of the Week
S1        Paige Overcash, Liberty
S8        Paige Overcash, Liberty
S15      Paige Overcash, Liberty
S22      Carly O’Brien, Liberty
S29      Jenna Otts, Liberty
O6        Manu Johnsen, Kennesaw State
O13      Kira Givans, FIU
O20      Alivia Skidmore, WKU
O27      Maggie Lightheart, NM State
N3        Danika Washington, UTEP
N10      Torrance Lovesee, UTEP
N17       Manu Johnsen, Kennesaw State        
 
2025 CUSA Defensive Players of the Week
S1        Mandi Morioka, FIU
S8        Luci Wilkinson, Jax State
S15      Faith Young, WKU
S22      Izzy Van De Wiele, WKU
S29      Mandi Morioka, FIU
            Kaya Weaver, UTEP
O6        Luci Wilkinson, Jax State
O13      Olivia Burrage, Kennesaw State
O20      Tayler Baron, WKU
O27      Magda Strambrowska, FIU
N3        Olivia Burrage, Kennesaw State
N10      Izzy Van De Wiele, WKU
N17      Sara Pustahija, UTEP        
 
2025 CUSA Setters of the Week
S1        Mattie Gantt & Kalia Kohler, UTEP
S8        Kalia Kohler, UTEP
S15      Callie Bauer, WKU
S22      Callie Bauer, WKU
S29      Savannah Cook, FIU
O6        Callie Bauer, WKU
O13      Callie Bauer, WKU
O20     Callie Bauer, WKU
O27      Kaeley Walz, Kennesaw State
N3        Callie Bauer, WKU
N10      Mattie Gantt & Kalia Kohler, UTEP
N17      Callie Bauer, WKU          
 
2025 CUSA Freshmen of the Week
S1        Kaira Knox, WKU
S8        Peyton McKee, Missouri State
S15      Kaira Knox, WKU
S22      Chloe Monson, Sam Houston
S29      Raegan Durbin, Middle Tennessee
O6       Sonja Laaksonen, WKU
O13     Charlee Solomon, Jax State
O20     Hannah Gardner, Missouri State
O27     Rebekah Pfefferkorn, FIU
N3       Kaira Knox, WKU
N10     Charlee Solomon, Jax State
N17     Chloe Monson, Sam Houston